Jumjum, Berin

The Jumjum belong to the great Nilotic family, whose languages and peoples are spread across the valleys and savannas of the Nile basin. Their language is part of the group that the scholar Evans-Pritchard called, in 1932, Southern Burun, and this kinship explains the close connection with the Burun and the Mabaan.

Because they live in remote areas at the foot of hills, the history of the people has been little recorded in writing. Studies of their language are rare and old, limited to short word lists and recent descriptive work. Much of the Jumjum memory is kept by the elders and passed down from generation to generation.

Jumjum life revolves around the land. The Jumjum are farmers and herders, and the rhythm of the rains and the harvests marks the community calendar. Raising animals and cultivating the fields sustain families and strengthen the bonds between them.

Villages are organized around family and neighborhood, with much sharing of the work in the fields. Because they live in remote areas, access to schools, health services and roads is still limited. Since the language has little written form, much knowledge is passed on orally, from one generation to the next, in stories and everyday conversation.

Traditionally, the Jumjum acknowledge a supreme God, whom they call Dyong, and live out their faith communally, tied to the land, the rains, the harvests and the rhythms of family life. Religion is not a separate matter: it is part of belonging to the people and of the relationships between families.

Data on the faith of the people varies by source, which reflects the coexistence in the region of traditional religion and the influence of Islam from neighboring peoples. In any case, religious identity and the identity of the people go together, and the message of Jesus must be presented in a way that makes sense within Jumjum culture and language, without requiring anyone to stop being Jumjum in order to believe.

The Jumjum language is still poorly documented, and Scripture in it is scarce: only Bible portions have been translated. There are gospel recordings in the language, which is valuable for a people with a strong oral tradition and few readers. For now, hearing the Word in Jumjum is a rare experience, and each available portion opens a door for the people to know God in their own language.

The Jumjum live in remote places, with few roads and little contact with Christian communities. Their small, little-studied language means there is almost no Scripture or Christian material in the language of the heart, and the strong oral tradition limits the reach of written texts. Added to this is the instability that marks the Blue Nile region, which makes it hard for any worker to stay long-term. Finally, traditional religion and the Islamic influence from the surrounding areas are interwoven with the identity of the people, and changing belief can mean becoming estranged from family and community.

The Jumjum need stability and peace to farm the land and raise their children in safety, along with access to schools, water and health care, so that their communities may flourish. Spiritually, they need Scriptures in their language, in both oral and written form, and someone who will live among them, learn their speech and share the gospel with patience and respect. Above all, they need communities of faith born from among their own people, carrying the message of Jesus from village to village.